Just another WordPress.com site

Searching the Origami Unicorn with Henry Jenkins

“Searching for the Origami Unicorn: The Matrix and Transmedia Storytelling” is about what the title exactly says, transmedia storytelling. Jenkins uses the phenomenon”The Matrix” to explain how transmedia storytelling uses different media platforms/mediums such as sequels, comics, and video games to capture the attention from a larger audience attempting to “get” the storyline.

Reading this made me think of all the fan bases there are out there like older ones such as Star Wars, Pokemon (never ending), and now a more recent example “Kingdom Hearts” popped into mind. The stories are created to build interest and hype keeping its followers on a leash in hunger for more desired information to be released from these fantasy worlds. First these phenomenons start out as a movie or show, then into comics, later video games, and etc. to keep the adventures continuing to keep fanatics addicted to connecting the pieces of the story together.

The Matrix by the Wachowski Brothers created the Matrix with a strategy to use transmedia storytelling because they knew this story could only be put together as a whole through different mediums in order to explore the story piece by piece. By sparking the interest in the first film made way to keep the fanatics hooked waiting for more. For example they created web comics, video games, and in the sequels even put cheat codes in the background to help gamers unlock hidden levels. The Matrix was turned into a puzzling mystery that kept the audience wanting to inquire more information to understand the characters and story better.